During the height of the Cold war the Soviet Union and the US negotiated a treaty to keep space free of nuclear weapons. This obligation has been strictly adhered to - but times are changing.
Both the US and China have demonstrated that they now have the capacity to shoot down and destroy satellites orbiting in space, opening the way to a new form of space war.
The world of communications relies on satellites and few of earth's functions can do without them. Everything from our nightly TV news to our ease of banking through a ATM is satellite reliant, and should that cease commerce - and the armed forces - would quickly grind to a halt.
The problem is that the rocketry necessary to launch satellites has extended to a host of other countries, some of which are decidedly unfriendly. Of major concern is the fact that nuclear technology is also in the hands of a wider circle - with more likely to join the " nuclear club " in the next decade or so.
With chaos in the streets of several Middle East countries and despots in power in parts of Asia there is a chance that space may soon become the place of tactical battles to secure an advantage in first strike capability.
It seems that we have moved from the comfort zone of treaties between two civilized nations to keep space as a neutral zone - to a no holds barred race to secure advantage between us and countries with no concept of honour or peace.
The blue sky above could soon be a place of extreme danger !
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